What is GIS?

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is computer software, hardware, and data that are designed to manipulate, analyze, and present information that is related to a spatial location. A GIS combines layers of information that can be displayed using maps, tables, images or any information with a geographic component.

• GIS Software
• GIS Starting Points
• GIS Data
• Federal Government GIS Web Resources
• Commercial and Academic GIS Web Resources
• Sample Maps
• GIS Tutorials
• Create Maps Online with ArcExplorer Web

The Gelardin New Media Center has seven multimedia work stations with ArcView GIS software and data installed, and a color printer for creating maps. A variety of data sets are available from the Census Bureau and other agencies' CD-ROMs in the library's collection. Ask the Gelardin New Media Center staff for help locating the data you need. Help using ArcView can also be requested using the online form, or by contacting the GIS Specialist.

ESRI Virtual Campus Classes are available to Georgetown students, faculty and staff at no cost.

ArcView software is available for circulation. See the ArcView Site License Fact Sheet for details.

GIS Starting Points

• GIS.com - ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) sponsored site featuring basic information about Geographic Information Systems.
• ESRI - Home of the ArcView suite of GIS products.

Selected Federal Government GIS Web Resources

• FGDC (Federal Geographic Data Committee) — An interagency committee which promotes the coordinated use, sharing and dissemination of geospatial data.
• NGDC (National Geospatial Data Clearinghouse)(USGS Node) — Search over 100 spatial data servers that have digital geographic data.
• Census Bureau — Geographic Products, Services and Information — Area and population statistics, Census Tract/Block Number codes, cartographic boundary files, U.S. Gazetteer, etc.
• MAPS (Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety) — Crime data and maps available from local law enforcement agencies.
• GEODE (GEO-DATA Explorer) — Access, view, and download information from geospatial databases produced by the U. S. Geological Survey and other government agencies.
• EPA Envirofacts Warehouse — Retrieve environmental information from EPA databases on Air, Chemicals, Facility Information, Grants/Funding, Hazardous Waste, Risk Management Plans, Superfund, Toxic Releases, Water Permits, Drinking Water, Drinking Water Contaminant Occurrence, and Drinking Water Microbial and Disinfection Byproduct Information. Envirofacts Query Form allows you to search multiple environmental databases. National Atlas of the United States — Create your own maps with the National Atlas Online interactive map browser. Download map layers by FTP from the Map Layers Warehouse. — National Park Service Geography and Mapping Technologies — National and regional data sets, scenic and historic trails, park boundary maps.
• NRI (National Resources Inventory) — Covers non-federal land. Includes data on land cover, land use, soil erosion, prime farmland soils, wetlands, habitat diversity, selected conservation practices and other natural resource information.
• NORTAD (North American Transportation Atlas Data) — Transportation facilities, networks and services.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Spatial data includes the National Wetlands Inventory and ECOS (Environmental Conservation Online System).

Selected Commercial and Academic GIS Web Resources

• Cornell's Digital Earth — Data collection for a digital geoscience library. Contains easy-to-use tools to manipulate, access, manage, analyze, map, and study the collected data sets.
• ESRI Downloadable Data — Ready-to-use demographic and spatial data sets in a variety of formats.
• Geography Network — The Geography Network provides access to geographic content from hundreds of organizations around the world. The content ranges from dynamic map services that can be viewed online to static geographic data sets that can be downloaded for use with mapping software.
• Geoplace.com — Provides information about geospatial topics such as press releases, GIS events, product reviews and GIS related journals.
• Google Earth — A virtual globe that provides a free version and enhanced fee based versions. Contains satellite and aerial images as well as census boundaries, geographic features with locator capabilities, and commercial locations.
• West Virginia State University GIS Technical Center — Geospatial Data Gateway of the USDA Natura lResources Conservation Service . Contains: TIGER line files, Digital Orthophoto Quadrangles , topographic Digital Raster Graphics, Digital Elevation Models, Land Use and Land Cover, etc., already by county, or by individual quads.

GIS Software

Does not work with Windows Vista or Macs

Circulating copies available to Georgetown students, faculty, and staff. See ArcView Site License Fact Sheet for details

• ArcGIS 9.2 — Updated ESRI mapping software packaged designed with a Windows 2000 or XP user interface and includes Visual Basic for Applications for customization. ArcView consists of three desktop applications: ArcMap, ArcCatalog, and ArcToolbox. ArcMap provides data display, query, and analysis. ArcCatalog provides geographic and tabular data management, creation, and organization. ArcToolbox provides basic data conversion. Using these three applications together, you can perform any GIS task, simple to advanced, including mapping, data management, geographic analysis, data editing, and geoprocessing.
• ArcGIS Extensions — Specialized software applications that work with ArcGIS 9.2, adding functionality to the geodatabase.
• ArcGIS Spatial Analyst — ArcGIS Spatial Analyst is integrated into the ArcGIS Desktop interactive mapping environment. This allows you to perform spatial analytical tasks such as surface analysis,terrain analysis, and map algebra.
• ArcGIS 3D Analyst — ArcGIS 3D Analyst provides a suite of methods for interactive perspective viewing and advanced tools for three-dimensional modeling and analysis applications.
• ArcGIS Geostatistical Analyst — Geostatistical Analyst allows users to create a surface from data measurements occurring over an area where collecting information for every possible location would be impractical.
• ArcGIS StreetMap — StreetMap layers automatically manage, label, and draw features such as local landmarks, streets, parks, water bodies, and other features. StreetMap can find nearly any address in the USA by interactively matching a single address or by batch matching from a file of addresses.
• ArcIMS — ESRI package provides the foundation for distributing high-end geographic information systems (GIS) and mapping services via the Internet. ArcIMS software enables users to integrate local data sources with Internet data sources for display, query, and analysis in an easy-to-use Web browser.
• ArcPad — ESRI's ArcPad software is mobile mapping and geographic information system (GIS) technology. ArcPad provides database access, mapping, GIS, and global positioning system (GPS) integration to users out in the field via handheld and mobile devices.
• ArcPad Application Builder — You can perform the following personalization and customization tasks: create new toolbars that contain built-in and custom tools, design custom forms to streamline data collection in the field, write scripts that automate tasks and interact with ArcPad software's internal objects.
• ArcGIS Military Analyst — The ArcGIS Military Analyst extension incorporates a suite of tools tailored to provide easier access and usability for NIMA (National Imagery and Mapping Agency) raster, vector, and elevation data and significantly enhances the effectiveness of core ArcGIS as a tool for the military planner and intelligence analyst.
• ArcGIS Schematics — ArcGIS Schematics automates schematic and geoschematic graphical representations of ESRI ArcGIS geodatabases, regardless of the network (electrical, gas, telecommunications), virtually any linear network.

GIS Data

• ArcGIS Business Analyst — U.S. census demographics and extensive U.S. industry data on CD/ROM, an extension for use with the ArcView 3.x mapping software. (Non-circulating)
• BusinessMAP — BusinessMAP lends itself to a variety of marketing and sales applications. Use BusinessMAP for territory design, demographic analysis, customer prospecting, route planning, and more.
• GeoLytics — Commercial census data extraction software and data package designed for easy customization of tabular reports and maps based on census geographic boundaries. Supports SAS, SPSS, MapInfo, ArcView and other software packages. Contains data from the 1970 through the 2000 census. (Non-circulating)
• ESRI Data & Maps CD/ROMs and DVDs — Demographic and location data with spatial data (points, lines and areas) packages that are included with the ArcView mapping software. Includes U.S. Census and international population and boundary information linked to maps.
• Depository CD/ROMs and DVDs — The library receives many GIS related materials from various agencies through the Federal Depository Library Program. These include the TIGER line Census files, USGS, NOAA, EPA, and more.